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Front view of NASA Armstrong's mission support building with a composite of several images of the eclipsed moons overhead.

The X-59 being assembled at the Lockheed Martin facility.

ER-2 high-altitude Earth science aircraft in flight over snowy mountains.

Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects, with access to 301,000 acres of remote land, year-round flying weather, and the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor.

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Location

Edwards, California

Founded

1946

People

1,100+

Director

Bradley C. Flick

Armstrong News

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Wind Over Its Wing: NASA’s X-66 Model Tests Airflow

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NASA Tests Air Traffic Surveillance Technology Using Its Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft

Featured Video

Home of NASA’s High-Risk Flight Research

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, dates to 1946 when a 13-person detail from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics arrived at the Muroc Army Airfield in California’s Mojave Desert. Their quest: To fly faster than the speed of sound. The X-1 was the first of many flight research efforts that would define our culture of research and discovery. Today, we continue those efforts, to advance NASA’s mission to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.

Learn More About Armstrong's History

Meet Our People

NASA Armstrong's in-house knowledge – research and engineering; aircraft modification, maintenance, and operations; project and institutional management, etc. – drives the airworthiness and flight safety decisions to execute NASA’s mission.

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Large group of NASA Armstrong employees standing in front of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center's main building.

armstrong Leadership

See Leadership/Organizations

Bradley C. Flick

Bradley Flick

Center Director

Laurie A. Gindle

Laurie Grindle

Deputy Center Director

Sean E. McMorrow

Sean McMorrow

Associate Director for Mission Support

Eddie Zavala

Eddie Zavala

Director for Programs and Projects

Troy A. Asher

Troy Asher

Director for Flight Operations

Stephen C. Jensen

Steven Jensen

Director for Research and Engineering

Portrait of Bruce A. Lipe

Bruce Lipe

Director for Mission Operations (Acting)

Portrait of a man.

Shawn Kern

Director for Safety and Mission Assurance

Frank M. Ramos

Frank Ramos

Chief Financial Officer

Portrait of Armstrong chief engineer Cynthia Bixby

Cynthia Bixby

Chief Engineer

Jonathan Brett Swanson

Brett Swanson

Center Chief Counsel

Joy Murphy

Joy Murphy

Director for California Human Resources

Olivia J. Carte

Olivia Carte

Chief of Staff

Research Focus Areas

Armstrong plays a pivotal role across all aspects of the agency’s missions.

About Programs & Projects

Animation of air vehicles taking off and landing on a vertiport.

Aeronautics Projects

Conducting high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects.

Atmospheric probes installed along the fuselage of NASA's DC-8.

Science Projects

Operating highly specialized aircraft to observe and study the Earth.

Two people wearing flight suits float in an aircraft while in the middle of a parabola while working on a piece of equipment

Space Projects

Enabling and validating space exploration concepts.

Front view of the F/A-18 research aircraft on the ground.

Aircraft Flown at Armstrong

Maintaining a fleet of research and testbed platforms.

Capabilities & Facilities

Armstrong has the facilities and requisite expertise to conceive, design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, maintain, and conduct disciplinary research, flight research and flight test on modified or unique research vehicles and systems. Our strength is in integration of complex developmental systems.

Learn More About Our Capabilities & Facilities

A top view shows the wing loading test configuration of an F/A-18E from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. Staff from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, assisted in preparing this F/A-18E aircraft for its new role as the Navy’s next loads test aircraft.

Explore More About Armstrong

The X-56B remotely piloted aircraft ground crew prepares the aircraft to begin a new flight series

Partnerships

Providing access to a world-class work force and flight environment as well as unrivaled research facilities.

A red colorized schlieren image of a small-scale model of NASA’s X-59 aircraft.

Technology Development

Crafting creative solutions that advance emerging technologies from concept development and experiment formulation to final testing.

Students Enjoy SARP Flight Aboard NASA's DC-8

Learning Resources

STEM resources that connect educators, students, parents and caregivers to the inspiring work at NASA.

History

Armstrong's history dates back to 1946

NASA Armstrong is chartered to research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies, and conduct atmospheric Earth and space science flight operations. The center is named in honor of Neil A. Armstrong, a former research test pilot at the center and the first man to step on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Learn More About Our History

An old picture of Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeril view of the NACA High Speed Flight Station. Note the taxiway to Edwards main base has not yet been completed. 8/24/54 NASA DFRC E54-1361

NASA

Media Resources

Contacts, program information, and multimedia guidelines for media working on stories.

Start Your Research Here

Inside a NASA Armstrong hangar, a group of six NASA airborne science representatives sit in front a large group of media. Armstrong's C-20A science aircraft is seen in the background.

Armstrong Image Gallery

272 Images

Resources to Learn More about Armstrong

Informing the public and media about NASA’s missions and promoting Armstrong’s mission to advance technology and science through flight.

An atmospheric probe model carried by a quad rotor aircraft rises and the Moon is visible.

X-Press Newsletter

A monthly publication, available in pdf format, reports on the center's research.

Explore the X-Press

Rocket launches into the sky

Fact Sheets

Downloadable PDFs about the aircraft, flight test and research projects, facilities, people, and history of NASA Armstrong.

Available Downloads

Speaker stands at podium in front of several people in the audience. A screen, showing a presentation slide, is on the wall behind the speaker.

Request a NASA Speaker

Each year, NASA speakers provide hundreds of presentations to thousands of people.

Test setup for strain gage calibration loading conducted on the F-15 ACTIVE 16 Jun 1995 in the Flight Loads Laboratory.

Virtual Tour

Virtually explore the capabilities and facilities that make Armstrong NASA's primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects.

2023 Annual Report

This report describes NASA Armstrong’s 2023 accomplishments and economic impacts. We’re proud to be NASA’s home for experimental flight and strive to build on our legacy while tackling the challenges of tomorrow.

Read the Report

Inside of an aircraft cockpit is shown from the upside down perspective with two men in tan flight suits sitting inside. The side of one helmet, oxygen mask and visor is seen for one of the two men as well as controls inside the aircraft. The second helmet is seen from the back as the man sitting in the front is piloting the aircraft. You can see land below through the window of the aircraft.

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Armstrong Flight Operations

X-Planes at Armstrong

Armstrong Research & Engineering

Armstrong Mission Operations